Escapement-feed mechanism for type-writers or analogous machines.



Patented Feb. I3, I900. E. H. DODGE. ESCAPEMENT FEED MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS OR'ANALOEUUS MACHINES.

(Application filed Dec. .4, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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lln'irnn STATES PATENT EDWIN H. DODGE, OF I-IARTFORD, OONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HART- FORD TYPE-VVRITER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ESCAPEMENT-FEED MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITERS OR ANALOGOUS MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 643,403, dated February 13, 1900. Application filed December 4, 1897. Serial No- 660,816. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: I. of travel of the feed member or rack for the Be it known that I, EDWIN I-I. DODGE, a purpose of preventing injury to the dogs citizen of the United States, residing in Hartshould the rack and the carriage of the maford, in the county of Hartford and State of chine be drawn back suddenly, as frequently 55 Connecticut, have invented certain new and happens. Thus, while employing two feeduseful Improvements in Escapement Feed dogs the positions of which are constant and Mechanism for Type-Writing or Analogous do not require adjustment, I retain in the Machines, of which the following is a specificonstruction shown all of the manifest advancation. tages resulting from the employment of an 60 This invention relates to escapement feed escapement device which is capable of yieldmechanism for type-writing and analogous ing in the direction of the return movement machines controlled by the depression of a of the feed-rack to avoid injury to these co plurality of keys or equivalent parts; and it operative working parts. has for its main object the provision of mech- In the drawings accompanying and forming 65 anism for feeding the carriage of a type-writer part of this specification, Figure 1 is a rear .evenly, smoothly, noiselessly,and without the elevation of a portion of a type-writing ma:

' shocks and jars usually incident to the operchine embodying an escapement feed mechation of escapement mechanisms ordinarily anismconstructed in accordance with my employed in connection with machines of this present invention and showing the parts in 7o class. Moreover, it is my aim to providesuch their normal idle positions. Fig. 2 is a seean escapement mechanism in which all of the tional end elevation of the same as seen from parts shall be simple in construction, durable, the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fear view simieffective in operation, and of low cost. lar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in the posi- One of the main features of this invention tions which they occupy when the escapement 75 is the employment, in connection with the device isoperated to permit the advance of usual feed member or feed-rack of a typethe feed-rack one tooth. Fig. 4 is a view writing machine, of an escapement member similar to Fig. 2, showing the parts in posiembodying two feed-dogs in fixed relation tions correspondingto those indicated in Fig. with each other, and so constructed and or- 3. Fig. 5 is arear view similar to Fig. 1, show- 80 3o ganized as to permit the rack or feed member ing the positions of the feed-dogs when the to move forward in the usual manner step rack is drawn back suddenly while in contact by step, while both of the feed-dogs remain with the dogs. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail immovable in the direction in which said feedplan of the escapement device and its acturack travels, the s'tep-by-step advancing ating means. Fig. 7 is a front view of the 85 3 5 movement of said rack being permitted solely dogs and the rock-shaft on which they are bythe movement of the feed-dogs in a direcmounted, as seenfrom the left in Fig. 2, and tion transverse to that in which the rack Fig. 8 isa perspective of the feed-dogs and travels. In the preferred construction these the parts connected therewith.

feed-dogs will be separated both longitudi- Similar characters designate like parts in 0 4o nally and transversely of their working ends, all the figures of the drawings.

the longitudinal separation being for the pur- In the drawings Ihave shown only so much pose of spacing the dogs properly in the diof the type-writer frame and feed-rack as will. rection of their movement, while the transsuftice to illustrate the application of my imverse separation of such feed-dogs permits provements thereto. the feed member or rack to advance a step or The feed member which cooperates with tooth and be stopped at the proper point by the dogs may be of any suitable or usual type, the second dog when'the rack has been propbut ordinarily will be in the form of a rack, erly releasedbythe first dog. These two feedsuch as R, having rigid teeth 1' of the usual (logs just described are in fixed relation with type for cooperating with the feed-dogs. It I00 each other, and both of them will in the prewill be understood, of course, that this feedferrcd construction be movable in the plane rack will normally tend to move forward in a direction shown by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3 under the stress of suitable actuating meanssuch, for example, as a spring properly connected therewith. (Not shown.)

A indicates, in a general way, a portion of the rear side of the frame of a type-Writing machine of any suitable construction, and on this part of the frame the escapement device and its operating connections will be mounted. In the present case the frame has se cured thereto in some suitable manner, as by means of screws, a bracket, such as B, from which rise two arms or uprights, (indicated by 15 and 15,) and between these arms the dogs of the escapement device may be mounted for oscillation substantially in the usual manner. In this case these dogs are intended to be carried by a rock-shaft of suitable construction-such, .for instance, as that indicated by 10-this rock-shaft being removably supported between uprights and 15, preferably by means of conically-pointed bearing screws 16 and 16, extending through said bearings, with their conical ends seated in the cuppedends formed by corresponding conical recesses in the ends of such rock-shaft. This rock-shaft 10 has in this instance an opening 10 extending entirely through the enlarged portion 10 thereof, and in this opening the feed-dogs are intended to be mounted for oscillation. The rock-shaft 'may also have a transverse bore intersecting the side walls of the opening 10 for the purpose of receiving a pivot member, such as 17, on which the feeddogs may be mounted.

As before stated, the essential feature of the escapement device forming the subjectmatter of thisinvention consists in the employment of a pair of feed-dogs disposed in fixed relation with each other and preferably separated both longitudinally and transversely of their working ends, and while these dogs might be constructed and organized in a variety of different ways yet I prefer to make use of an escapement member substantially such as that shown herein, having two fixed dogs thereon with curved working ends, the curves of which are defined by an arc struck from a center in the axis of the rock-shaft 10. As the escapement member oscillates with this rock-shaft, the necessity of curving the working faces of the dogs will be apparent.

The escapement member which I make use of in this case is indicated by c and is preferably in the nature of a cam-shaped pawl, the smaller end of which (indicated by 20) is of such shape that the edges thereof will engage the opposite sides of the opening 10 in the rock-shaft and prevent turning of the pawl relatively to the rock-shaft during the oscillation of the latter. For the purpose of holding this pawl or escapement member in place I make use of the pivot-pin 1.7, to which I have hereinbefore referred.

In order that the escapement member may yield when the carriage is returned suddenly 2, 4, and 6.)

and the rack is not raised from the dogs, I prefer that it shall be of the movable type and shall be returned to its normal position by a spring when the rack reaches the end of its retractive movement. The manner in which the member 6 is mounted will be apparent by referring to Fig. 7, from which it will be seen that said member is mounted for oscillation within the opening 10 at one end of the latter and that there is a clear space at one side of said pawl for permitting yielding thereof when the rack is returned in the manner just described. It will be noticed that one side of the member 20 is rounded off at 20 in order to permit the pawl to turn freely at such time.

Any suitable spring may be employed for maintaining the pawl in its normal upright position, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) while capable of yielding to enable the pawl to tip in the plane of movement of the rack, as shown in Fig. 5; butI prefer to employ a spring, such as that shown at 25, one end of which engages in an opening in the pawl in a suitable manner, while the other end is passed into a similar opening in the rock-arm by which the rock-shaft is operated. (See Figs. Between the ends thereof the spring may have a coil, through which will be passed a holding member, such as the setscrew 26.

In the construction illustrated herein the pawl or escapement member 20 has at the upper end thereof two feed-dogs, (indicated herein by 12 and 13, respectively.) One of these dogs is set preferably in advance of the other and in parallelism therewith and is separated from such other dog by an opening or space 14 for the purpose of enabling each dog when released from a tooth to move out of the way and allow the other to come into action. The space between the working ends of these dogs in transverse direction is of course for the purpose of permitting the escapement movement of the rack.

It will be noticed that in the construction shown the space between the two dogs 12 and 13 is less than a tooth-space and that as these dogs are in fixed relation with each other this interval is not variable, but always remains constant, thus assuring the proper coaction of the dogs with the teeth of a perfectlyformed rack and preventing tampering with the adjustment of these parts. The two dogs I oo 12 and 13 are set in this case at opposite side versal bar operated by the key-levers of the usual type-writing machine. (Not shown.) This arm 21 may be removably secured to the rod 22, said arm having in this case an opening therein through which such rod is passed and also having a clamping-screw 23 for securing the connecting-rod in position.

It will be obvious that by means of these parts my improved escapement device may be set in any proper position with respect to the rack, as the connection between the actuating-rod 22 and the rock-arm 10" constitutes an adjusting means for this purpose.

In the operation of my improved escapement feed mechanisn1assumin gthe parts to be in positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the straight face 13 of the dog 13 in position to engage and form a detent for the straight face of one of the teeth 0' of the feed-rackthe depression of the actuating-rod 22 will cause the escapement member to be oscillated from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that illustrated in Fig. 4. During this movement the dog 12 will be brought into the plane of the feed-rack, but will not become effective until said rack is released by the dog 13 slipping off from the edge of the tooth of the rack-bar, as shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the rack being released will move forward and the straight face of the next succeeding tooth 1* will be engaged and stopped against the corresponding straight face 12 of the dog 12. This movement does not, however, carry the feed-rack forward a distance equal to one full .toothspace, but only a portion of such distance, as will be clear by referring to Fig. 3; but when the actuating-rod 22 is released and returns to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the face 12 will be released from the straight face of such succeeding tooth of the rack, and this straight face of the tooth will be stopped by the straight face 13 of'the dog 13, whereupon the rack will have moved forward a distance equal to one full tooth-space. Hence it will be clear that on each depression of the actuating-rod and the release thereof the rack will be advanced one step by two partial movements, each of which partial movements is controlled by the oscillation of the pawl 6, one

such partial movement being due to the oscillation of the pawl from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that illustrated in Fig. 4, while the other is effected by the return of the pawl from the position shown in Fig. 4130 that represented in Fig. 2.

Owing to the fact that each feed movement of the rack is made up of two partial movementsobtained in the manner just described and owing to the further fact that the two dogs are in fixed relation with each other and cannot change their relative positions the feed-rack is fed. forward a precise distance at each actuation of the connecting-rod 22 by easy steps, and hence with but a slight shock on each release of the rock-shaft and therefore with a minimum amount of noise. The manner in which the pawl is afterward swung on its pivot-pin 17 when the rack is returned quickly to its normal position without being elevated above the working ends of the dogs is illustrated clearly in Fig. 5, from which it will be evident that no injury can result to the dogs by such return of the rack.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a machine of the class specified, the combination, with a feed-rack the teeth of which are straight on one side and oblique on the other, of a feed-pawl oscillatory transversely to the feed-rack about an axis adjacent to said rack, said pawl embodying a pair of feed-dogs rigid therewith and each having a straight face cooperative with thestraight faces of the rack-teeth, and each also having an oblique face cooperative with the oblique faces of said rack-teeth, and each also having a working face defined by an arc struck from the axis of oscillation of the pawl, said dogs being separated transversely by a space sufficient to feed the rack. a distance substantially equal to half a tooth-space at each movement of the pawl.

2. In a machine of the class specified, the combination, with a feed-rack the teeth of which are straight on one side and oblique on the other, of a feed=pawl oscillatory transversely to the feed-rack about an axisadjacent to said rack and also yieldingly mounted to oscillate in the plane of the feed-rack, said pawl embodying a pair of feeddogs rigid therewith and each having a straight face cooperative with the straight faces of the rackteeth, and each also having an oblique face.

cooperative with the oblique faces of said rack-teeth, and each also having a working face defined by an arc struck from the axis of oscillation of the pawl, said dogs being separated transversely by a space sufficient to feed the rack a distance equal to half a tooth-space at each movement of the pawl.

3. In a machine of the class specified, the combination, with a feed-rack, of a rocker having an opening therein, and a feed-pawl oscillatory transversely to, the feed-rack about an axis adjacent to said rack and yieldingly mounted within said opening to oscillate in the plane of the feed-rack, said pawl embodying a pair of feed-dogs rigid therewith and separated transversely by a space sufficient to feed the rack a distance equal to half a tooth-space at each movement of the pawl.

EDWIN H. DODGE. 

